Safe and Sound
by wittyusername1
Summary: Spencer never warns Ezra about Jason. Due to Ezra's lack of intervention, a friendship forms between Aria and Jason that causes Aria to further question her feelings for both men. This will become a Jaria story in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**SAFE AND SOUND **

**Summary: Spencer never warns Ezra about Jason. Due to Ezra's lack of intervention, a friendship forms between Aria and Jason that causes Aria to further question her feelings for both men. **

**A/N: This story begins when Jason invited Aria over to his house, because he wanted to give her some of Ali's old stuff. Because Spencer doesn't warn Ezra about Jason, Ezra doesn't show up to pick up Aria. Also, I apologize that this first chapter is so short. It's more of a prologue than anything. Future chapters will be longer. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Pretty Little Liars**_**. **

Aria shuffled her feet and looked around Jason's yard as she waited for him to return. It was cold out, so it would have been nice to go inside with him instead of waiting in his front yard. However, her friends had advised her to at least attempt to practice caution while around Jason, especially after the pictures-of-her-sleeping debacle.

While Jason had already debunked that mystery, she still felt that it would be best to wait for him outside just to be on the safe side.

She glanced up as she heard footsteps approaching her and noticed that Jason had exited the house. He looked her in the eyes as he walked toward her with a wooden-looking box in his hands.

Aria found his confidence to be a bit impressive. She instinctually felt as if he should have been a bit more abashed after her rejection of his advances the other night. Instead, he seemed to be easygoing and calm.

He handed the box to her, never breaking eye contact.

"This is for me?" Aria asked him as she took the box from his grasp.

He gave a slight nod, causing his hair to slightly fall into the corner of his left eye. "Yeah," he replied.

Aria smiled. "Thanks."

They stared at each other for a beat without saying anything. It should have felt awkward, but it didn't. There was something about Jason's relaxed body language that put Aria at ease as well.

I want to tell you something," Jason said as he intently looked at Aria and waited for a response.

She nodded to encourage him, secretly hoped that he wouldn't try to make another move or say anything to make things awkward between the two of them.

"I want to apologize for the other night. I feel as though I may have made you uncomfortable when I kissed you," Jason started. "I do have feelings for you, but I don't want to do or say anything to make things weird between us. I want us to be friends."

Aria hesitated, unsure of what to say. While she wouldn't mind being friends with him, she worried that a friendship between the two of them might encourage his feelings for her. Even more so, she worried that it might encourage her feelings for him.

But then again, it wouldn't hurt to try to be his friend. Technically, he hadn't done anything to be unworthy of her friendship, and he did deserve a chance. Maybe their feelings for each over would dissolve over time, and Jason would turn out to be a good friend. She considered all that he had done for Mike already, from not reporting Mike's attempted break-in to bringing the youth center card to her house for him.

She looked at Jason as he patiently waited for her response.

"I want us to be friends too," she said with a smile.

"Great." Jason smiled as well. "I'll see you around, Aria."

Aria gave him a small wave before walking toward her car and putting the box on the seat next to hers. She started her car and began driving home.

As she drove away, she wondered what exactly a friendship with Jason would entail.

**A/N: Please let me know what you think. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't plan on including A in this story, because I feel as if A's a bit of a reverse deus ex machina. I'd rather the events unfold on their own rather than have A force them to happen. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Pretty Little Liars.  
**_

Aria changed the channel of Ezra's television as they sat together on his sofa. "So what do you have planned for tonight?" she asked.

Ezra leaned back and rested his arms on the sofa's back. "I'm going out with some friends with work."

Aria hesitated. "Do you think I could come, too?"

Ezra tilted his head while a confused look spread across his face. "Why?"

She hesitated even more, taking note of his expression. "It's just that you know my friends, but I don't really know yours. I want to get to know them, even if it means that you only introduce me as your friend."

Ezra was shaking his head before she had even finished speaking. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Aria."

"Why not?"

Ezra gave her an exasperated look. "It just wouldn't."

"Well, can you try to explain to me why you feel that way?" Aria asked.

Ezra gave a small shrug. "You wouldn't understand."

Aria couldn't help but feel upset at how easily he was dismissing her.

"Why? Because I'm younger than you?" She could hear her voice rising.

Ezra sighed. "Maybe."

A hurt look crossed Aria's face. "Ezra, do you really think that?"

He looked at her without saying anything.

Aria could feel herself becoming angry. "My age doesn't prevent me from comprehending what you're saying. I understand perfectly well, and it hurts that you'd play the age card on me."

"Aria, my situation in this relationship is different from yours. I have so much at risk, and I acknowledge that you do as well, but you still haven't experienced the real world like I have. I have a job to worry about, colleagues, reputation, jail... Going out together publically isn't worth the risk."

"I haven't experienced the real world like you have? Are you serious? I think I've gone through more these past two years than you have in a life time."

Ezra reached for her hand, but Aria pulled away. He took a deep breath before saying, "Look, either way, I just don't think you'd get along with my friends anyways."

"Why not?"

"They're professionals, Aria. You're a very mature girl, but I'm not sure if you'd connect with them. It might just end up being awkward for the both of us."

"A mature _girl_? I'm a mature _woman_. I thought I just told you to not play the age card on me. You know what? Forget it. I'm leaving."

"No, Aria. Wait." Ezra grabbed her arm, bur Aria pulled away as she stood up from the sofa.

"No, I'm not waiting. I understand your feelings, but they're not connecting to how I feel. You need to see me as an equal for this relationship to work, yet it seems like you clearly don't."

Aria angrily walked to the door and closed it behind her before he had a chance to say anything else. She stood outside the door and stared at it, not quite believing the conversation that they'd just had. She couldn't help but wonder why Ezra was even dating her in the first place if he only saw her as a _girl_.

She could hear him rummaging around inside, and turning on some water. A sick feeling settled in her stomach as she realized a small part of her had hoped that he would have chased after her to apologize.

Aria bit back tears as she headed toward the exit of his apartment building and reached toward her shoulder to rummage through her purse for her keys. Instead of her hand making contact with her purse, all Aria felt was air.

"Oh no," she moaned as she realized that she'd left her purse in Ezra's apartment. How could she be so stupid?

She stood in front of his apartment building, unsure of what to do. She could just walk home. Only, it wasn't just walking home. It was walking all the way across town in the two inch heels that she'd decided to wear that day. Her cell phone was in her purse in Ezra's apartment, which prevented her from calling one of her friends to come pick her up, so her only other option would be to go back up and get her purse.

She thought again of Ezra's near apathy toward her and decided she'd rather walk home than have to face him again.

After groaning in frustration, Aria began to walk. Her anger toward Ezra built with each step that she took.

Aria must have been walking for over a half hour by the time she reached a local burger joint. Her high heel clad feet were incredibly sore and must have had more blisters than she could count, but she was still pretty far from her house which caused her to curse her decision to wear the stupid heels that morning. To add to her list of problems, she was incredibly hungry. Her stomach growled as she looked into the window of the restaurant. As a family exited through the front door, she could smell the faint hint of fries.

She was about to keep walking when she heard someone calling her name from behind her. "Aria!"

She turned around and saw Jason stepping onto the sidewalk and approaching her. She noticed that his car was parked across the street from where she was standing.

She forced a smile and tried to hide her discomfort that was instigated by her hunger and sore feet. "Hey, Jason. How are you?"

"I'm pretty good. How about yourself?"

"I'm fine," Aria replied as she continued to fake a smile.

He studied her face. "It doesn't look like you're fine."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're kind of grimacing. Are you alright?"

Aria was prepared to lie to him, but instead shook her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's a long story," she sighed.

Jason looked at her with a slight frown before looking at the restaurant that was in front of them. "Have you eaten yet?"

She shook her head in reply.

"Let me get something for you. Come on."

"No, that's alright. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Aria, it's alright. Let me get you something," he repeated. "I was just about to pick up dinner for myself anyways. It wouldn't be any trouble to get you something, too."

He headed toward the door before she could answer, leaving her no choice but to follow him.

She stood next to him in line, her legs shaking due to the pain in her feet. She tried to keep her legs still, but Jason noticed almost immediately.

"Why don't you go sit down at a table?" he suggested. "Tell me what you want, and I'll order it for you."

Aria was too tired to ague, and she knew that she would feel better if she sat down. She nodded and gave him her order before finding a table nearby.

Her legs practically collapsed beneath her as she sat down in the chair. Who knew sitting could feel so great?

As she waited, she took the opportunity to observe Jason as he ordered their food. He wore a tight black v-neck that accentuated his muscular and broad shoulders and a pair of dark jeans that were tight enough to hint at a muscular behind but loose enough to still look attractive.

She could tell that he was unintentionally charming the girl behind the counter. The girl seemed to be flirting with him and giggled at something that he said, though it appeared as if Jason was merely returning her flirtations with polite smiles as he got them their food.

Aria couldn't help but smile at the girl's attempts to flirt with Jason. She had to admit to herself that Jason was good looking. Well, if she was going to be honest with herself, he was extremely good looking. There wasn't a single flaw in his appearance.

However, what really stood out to her was his personality. It had been so sweet of him the other day to apologize for causing her any discomfort. The memory of his apology made her smile a little, and she thought about how it must have taken major balls for him to bring that up. She wasn't sure if she would have been able to do the same if the situation had been reversed. She also appreciated that he hadn't asked her too many questions when he'd seen her outside the restaurant and that he was buying her food.

Jason turned around and smiled at her. Aria smiled back, but she could feel herself blushing that Jason had caught her staring at him.

He finished paying for their food and carried it in a bag toward her table. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to eat it here or not, so I got it as take out just in case."

Aria couldn't help but smile at how considerate he was. "Let's head out," she said.

"Do you need a ride?" Jason asked.

Aria nodded, and Jason gently motioned with his head for her to follow him.

Once they were in his car, Jason handed her the bag of food. "You look hungry. Why don't you start eating your food now?"

Aria didn't need to be told twice. She took the bag from him and immediately dug through it in search of her food.

"Thank you so much for this," she told him before she began to eat her fries.

"It was my pleasure. Where to?"

Aria paused and thought for a moment. She couldn't go home, because the key to her house was in her purse in Ezra's apartment. Her parents would be out late at a party for their book club that they were a part of, and Mike was spending the night at a friend's house.

She supposed she could stop by Hanna, Spencer, or Emily's house. She knew that she was always welcomed at each of their houses, but then she'd have to face an entourage of questions like why Jason had driven her and what had happened with Ezra. At the moment, she wasn't sure she could deal with any of their questions.

"I'm not sure," she finally replied.

Jason gave her a side glance as he started his car. "Do you want to come back to my place while you decide?"

Aria could already hear in her mind her friends shouting things at her that were along the lines of "stranger danger," but she was beginning to feel as if Jason wasn't as dangerous as they'd originally thought. He wasn't too much of a stranger any more to her either.

"If you don't mind, then sure," she said.

"I don't mind," he said as he turned around a corner in the direction of his house.

**A/N: Is it just me, or does Aria's new love interest Jake almost feel like a replacement for Jason since the actor that plays Jason is currently working on another TV series? I mean, both of their names even start with the letter J. I wonder if Jake's storyline was actually meant for Jason. Haha or maybe that's just my wishful thinking. Thoughts? **

**Also, let me know what you thought about this chapter. Thanks. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews! They're all really appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own_ Pretty Little Liars_. **

Aria sat at the counter and watched Jason move around the kitchen as he found plates for them to use. Her eyes widened as he reached up toward a cabinet above his head, causing his shirt to rise a little and revealing some of his skin. She noticed that his lower body was incredibly defined, and she could see a hint of abs and the oh-so-attractive V-lines disappearing beneath his jeans. She couldn't help it as her breath hitched and hoped he hadn't noticed.

He glanced at her after putting two plates on the counter. "Are you alright?"

Aria bit her lip, trying to think of an excuse for the noise she'd just made. "I was just surprised that someone as tall as you would still have to reach so high."

She silently cursed herself for not being able to think of a better lie than that. It didn't even really make any sense, but it was the best she could come up with in her flustered state.

Jason smiled to himself as he put their food on the plates and set the table. Luckily, he didn't pick up on the implausibility of her lie. "When Ali and my mom lived here, they'd always ask me come get stuff for them out of the cabinets. It really is an inconvenience that they were built so high. I might remodel them to be a bit lower once I finish my other renovations."

Jason seemed to be lost in his memories of his mom and sister for a moment as he sat down and started to eat his dinner.

_Gosh, he even makes eating look sexy_, Aria observed.

"If you don't want to answer then you don't have to, but what happened tonight?" Jason asked her.

Aria tilted her head and made a weak attempt to evade the question. "What do you mean?"

"You didn't look right." He paused and seemed to think for a moment. "I think it was your eyes. They looked kind of sad."

Aria gave a weak smile. Before Jason had noticed her on the sidewalk, she had been feeling abandoned by Ezra. Surely he would have seen her purse by then, or maybe even her car, and would have come after her to make sure she was alright. But he hadn't.

"Well, I was feeling kind of sad," Aria finally supplied.

"Do you want to talk about why?"

Aria hesitated as she remembered her earlier unwillingness to talk to her friends about what had happened with Ezra. She began to try to think of an excuse to tell Jason, but she stopped as she realized that she at least owed him an explanation after everything that he'd done for her.

"I got in a fight," She paused and took a deep breath, "with my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend?"

Aria was grateful for the neutral and casual tone of his voice, and it encouraged her to say more.

"Yeah. It's sort of a secret relationship right now, though. I thought we were going to start being more public about our relationship and suggested a step in that direction earlier, but he disagreed."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You'd think he'd want to show you off to the world, not keep you hidden."

"The nature of the relationship kind of requires for it to stay hidden. He's older, and well, I'm just a girl."

"You're not _just a girl_, Aria. You're beautiful, intelligent, well-spoken, and wise beyond your years. Any guy who can't see that is an idiot."

Jason gave Aria's hand a soft squeeze and held her hand in his. Aria looked down at their joined hands in shock. She knew she should say something, but nothing would come out. All she could focus on were the butterflies that were practically crashing into each other in her stomach and the feeling of her hand in his. His hand felt slightly rough from the work he'd been doing in his yard and was so much larger than her own. She noted the soft hair that covered his hand that traveled up the length his arm before she gently pulled her hand away.

"Thanks Jason. I appreciate you saying that."

"No problem. It's the truth."

Jason gazed into her eyes with such intensity that Aria could feel heat rising in her cheeks. His eyes seemed to be looking into her soul rather than just at her face, and she felt like he could read her every thought. She blushed even more at that possibility.

"Do you mind if I borrow your phone to make a few phone calls?" Aria asked in an attempt to divert his attention.

He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his cell phone, placing it into Aria's hand.

"Take as much time as you need," he told her before disappearing into another room to give her some privacy.

Aria dialed her mom's cell phone number and waited as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Ella said as she answered her phone.

"Hey Mom, it's Aria. My phone died, so I'm borrowing Spencer's phone to call you."

Aria figured that wasn't too bad of a lie since Spencer's house was actually right next door to Jason's.

"That's weird. My phone didn't recognize this number as Spencer's. I thought her number was in my phone already."

_Crap_, Aria thought. She quickly formulated a lie in her head.

"Spencer lost her old phone, so she got a new number when she bought a replacement. How's your night going?"

"It's going well. Your dad and I probably won't be home until around midnight."

Aria could hear laughter in the background on the other line.

"I'm glad that you're having a good time. I was just calling to let you know that I'll be home late tonight."

"Around what time?"

"I actually need to wait for you and Dad to come home to let me in. I locked my keys in my car, so I don't have a key to the house right now."

Aria internally sighed with frustration that she'd had to tell yet another lie to her mom.

"Where are you at?" Ella asked with concern.

"I'm at Spencer's house." Aria again figured Spencer's house was close enough that the lie wasn't too bad.

"Why don't you just stay at Spencer's for the night? I don't want you to have to stay up and wait for your dad and me. I know I said midnight, but to be honest I'm not sure when exactly we'll get home. We'd leave now, but we only got here a half hour ago because traffic was bad on the freeway. It would be rude of us to leave early."

"You're right. Stay there as long as you need to. I'll just stay here at Spencer's."

"Okay, great. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Mom."

Aria hung up the phone and released an exasperated sigh as she leaned up against the counter.

"I wasn't aware that this was Spencer's house now."

Aria jumped and quickly turned around. "Oh my goodness, Jason! You startled me! You can't just sneak up on people like that."

Jason gave her an apologetic smile but didn't say anything.

"I'm not sure if my mom would approve of me being here," Aria explained, "and even if she did, I'd probably be answering her questions all night. The last thing I need is for her to think we're a couple or something."

A slightly hurt expression crossed Jason's face.

Aria quickly backtracked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I mean, there isn't anything wrong with you or me being associated with you. It's just that I'm trying to ease my parents into the idea of me dating my boyfriend, and I don't want to confuse them by making them think I'm dating someone else."

Jason nodded. "Understandable."

"Thanks for letting me borrow your phone. I accidently left mine at my boyfriend's apartment. I actually left my whole purse there, which is why you saw me walking earlier. I didn't have my phone to call anyone or my keys to drive home. Actually, now that I think of it, it was really dumb of me to walk home anyways since I didn't have the keys. I guess I was so caught up in my anger that I didn't even realize I had no way of getting into my house."

"You can stay here if you want," Jason offered.

"No, I don't want to impose. I guess I can handle Spencer."

"It's fine, Aria. Really."

"Are you sure?"

She thought about how much easier it would be to stay at Jason's house than go to Spencer's, especially now that she'd probably have to answer questions explaining why she had been at Jason's in the first place. Knowing Spencer, she'd most likely scold Aria for the rest of the week-or for the rest of her life-if she knew Aria had even set foot within Jason's house.

"Nothing would make me happier than getting to spend more time with you," Jason replied.

After seeing Aria's expression, he smoothly added, "You're a fun person to be around. I'm not referencing my feelings for you if that's what you were thinking."

Aria felt the weight of the day and her argument with Ezra in full force, which in turn made her feel a bit reckless. If he got to go out and have fun with friends, then why shouldn't she? Jason was just her friend after all.

"Well, I don't think I've been living up to my 'fun person' characterization today. How about we have some fun?"

"I'm down for that."

Aria hurried to the stereo and turned it on. She turned up the volume as music filled the house. "Let's dance!" Aria shouted over the music.

Aria made her way toward Jason and beckoned for him to come closer with her index finger.

Jason slowly approached her until they were only a foot apart from each other.

Aria grinned at him as she grabbed his hand with one of her own and reached up to put her other hand on his shoulder. He grinned back at her and tightened his grip on her hand while he rested his other one on her waist.

Because the music that was playing called for more upbeat dancing, Aria and Jason spun around, jumped, and rocked back and forth as they tried to keep up with the beat. Jason even spun her out a couple of times.

They were both tripping every which way and bumping into furniture, but each misstep only made them laugh harder and harder. Aria laughed especially hard when they bumped into the sofa and almost fell over onto the floor. Jason had to let go of her waist and firmly plant his hand on the sofa to make sure that they didn't fall over.

It felt so good to Aria to finally let loose and have some fun. Up until that point, she'd still been feeling bad about her argument with Ezra.

This continued for a couple songs until a slow song started to play. Aria froze, unsure of how to proceed.

Luckily, or maybe unluckily for her, Jason seemed to know exactly what to do. He looked down at her and pulled her closer. "Let's continue to dance," he suggested.

Aria nodded, unable to look away from the expression that was on his face. His greenish-blue eyes were looking at her and telling her everything she knew he wouldn't verbalize as long as she was "unavailable" to him. If it wasn't for Jason swaying them back and forth, she was sure that she would've just stood there frozen. Although they weren't pressed tightly against each other, she could feel a hint of his body against hers from her knees to chest.

"Ezra-" she started before catching herself.

Jason stopped dancing and released his hold on her. "What?"

Aria could feel herself turning red. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

Jason walked over to the stereo and turned it off. "Did you just call me Ezra? Wasn't he your old English teacher?" he asked as he turned around to face her. She was relieved that he at least sounded far more confused than angry.

Aria could feel her blush deepening as she scrambled to think of a lie. "This is so embarrassing. It's just that I used to have a crush on him when he was my teacher, and we'd shared a similar dance at a school dance once. I was just reminded of that while we were dancing, and I guess I got caught up in the memory."

It was a lie, of course. She had been about to protest and remind Jason of her boyfriend Ezra. However, it was only after she had said Ezra's name that she'd realized her slip. She had just been so flustered by the moment she'd been sharing with Jason, that she forgot Jason didn't know that Ezra was her boyfriend.

Jason slightly raised one shoulder in a half shrug. "You're not obligated to explain yourself to me. We're just friends."

Even though Aria knew Jason was trying to pass it off as alright, she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was a little hurt. The moment between the two of them when they'd been dancing earlier had long passed.

Aria panicked, trying to think of a way to get herself out of the awkwardness of the situation. She settled on faking a massive yawn.

"Looks like you're tired. I'll let you sleep in my room tonight, and I'll sleep down here on the sofa. I figure that you wouldn't want to sleep in Ali's old room or my parents'. I've been renovating the guest room, so I don't think you'd be too comfortable in there either."

"Jason, I'm already putting you out by staying in your house. I'm not putting you out of your bed, too."

"You're my guest, Aria. I don't mind. Follow me."

Aria couldn't help but scowl as she followed Jason up the stairs. _He can be so insistent sometimes_, she thought with irritation. Although she did grudgingly have to admit that every time he was insistent on something, it was because he was being a gentleman.

Aria noted that Ali's door was closed as a shiver traveled down her spine. "Don't you ever feel weird living here by yourself?"

Jason shrugged. "I did when I first moved in, but the renovations I've been making have made this place start to feel more like my own."

He opened the door to his room and held it open for Aria to enter. "Let me get you some pajamas," Jason suggested as he opened a dresser drawer. He pulled out a large t-shirt and basketball shorts. "Will these be alright?"

Aria replied in the affirmative and took them when Jason handed them to her.

"Thanks again for letting me stay tonight," Aria said as she tried to inconspicuously glance around the room.

"No problem. If you need anything, then I'll just be downstairs."

Aria nodded in reply.

Jason put his hand on the door and looked at Aria for a moment. He still seemed a little hurt at Aria's slip earlier, and she couldn't really blame him for feeling that way. They'd been having a moment, and from what Aria had told Jason, Jason probably thought he'd been the only one actually enjoying it. From his point of view, Aria had been thinking of someone else while he'd been thinking of her.

In reality, Aria had been so lost in the moment that she'd barely remembered Ezra at all. In fact, she'd had to force herself to bring him up. She couldn't let Jason know that, though.

"Goodnight Aria."

"'Night," Aria replied as he gave her one last look before closing the door.

She listened as he padded down the stairs and rummaged around on the first level of the house before she undressed herself and put on his clothes.

After they were on, she inhaled their scent and sighed. She had to admit to herself that Jason had a pretty distinct smell and that it was really appealing. It was definitely sort of woodsy and reminded her of her family's old camping trips to a nearby lake in the woods. Her favorite activity while there would be lie down in the grass and listen to the peaceful noises of hidden animals and bugs as she closed her eyes and took in the different scents. Jason's scent made her feel safe and relaxed, just as she had felt so many times before while she'd been camping.

She settled under his blankets that amplified his scent even more and inhaled deeply before quickly falling asleep.

Her last thought before she fell asleep was that maybe she'd made the right decision when she'd agreed to be friends with Jason.

**A/N: An event's going to take place next chapter that I'm pretty excited to write! I can't wait for you all to read it. **

**Please write a review, and let me know what you think. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much to all the reviewers and to the people who have alerted or favorited this story! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Pretty Little Liars**_**. **

Jason groaned into his pillow before grudgingly forcing himself to sit up. He was tempted to ignore the knocking on his door, but the persistence and caliber of the banging increased with each second that he didn't answer it.

He got up from his makeshift bed on his couch and glanced at his wrist watch. It was three in the morning and therefore far too early for anyone to be at his door. Who the hell would be pounding on it at this ungodly hour?

"Jason? Is everything okay?" Aria softly asked from the stairwell.

He glanced over at her and couldn't help but feel irritated that whoever it was had woken her up as well. The only thing he could feel grateful about, he supposed, was that this disruption allowed him to see her wearing his clothes. They looked almost comically large on her small frame, but he still thought she looked cute in them anyways.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Let me see who's out there."

He lazily wiped the sleep from his eyes as he closed the distance between the sofa and the front door. When he reached it, he looked through the peephole to see who was knocking.

"What the heck?" Jason muttered to himself before immediately opening the door.

He was shocked to see Ezra Fitz standing on his porch with one fist raised mid-knock.

"Is Aria here?" Ezra urgently asked, his eyes frantically searching Jason's for an answer.

"Ezra?" Aria asked from the bottom of the stairwell. Her voice sounded as surprised as he felt. Although he had his back turned to her, he could hear her small bare feet quickly padding toward the door.

Ezra's eyes widened when he heard Aria's voice and desperately searched for her. Jason knew the exact moment that Ezra saw her, because the other man's expression reflected the shocked face of someone who had just been slapped. He watched as Ezra looked Aria up and down, presumably noting Jason's clothes on her body.

Much to Jason's surprise, Ezra's teeth clenched as he wound his fist back and punched Jason in the jaw. It didn't hurt Jason too bad, because Ezra wasn't particularly strong. Jason knew that he'd probably have a bruise for a week or two, though.

"Ezra! Stop!"

Aria rushed over and stood in front of Jason, stretching her arms out to protect him.

"What was that for?" Jason angrily asked.

"For trying to steal her from me," Ezra replied as he panted from the exertion that it took to punch Jason.

It took a moment for Jason to realize_ Ezra_ was the reason Aria was unavailable. He felt too shocked to say anything.

"Aria, I've been looking everywhere for you. I even told your friends about our relationship in the hopes that they would know where you were. We've been looking for you all night." His face softened. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine," Aria replied in a clipped tone, causing Ezra to flinch.

"Obviously," Ezra retorted bitterly. He glared at Jason and then at Aria. "What are you doing here with him?"

"I didn't have the keys to my house, so Jason offered to let me stay the night."

"Did anything happen between the two of you?"

Jason grew angry when he realized what Ezra was trying to imply. He couldn't believe the other man's audacity.

"Nothing happened. Don't you trust me?"

Jason was impressed by how calm Aria's voice sounded compared to Ezra's and marveled at her maturity.

"I did trust you, but now I don't know what to believe. You're standing there in his clothes," Ezra said as he gestured toward her body with his hand.

"Believe her. We're just friends," Jason interrupted.

"I wasn't asking you. Stay out of this," Ezra angrily retorted.

"Excuse me, but this is my house. You can't tell me what to do while you're in it," Jason fired back.

"Aria, I'll take you home. Come with me."

Aria glanced at both men and said nothing. Jason could tell by the way that she was frozen in place that her mind must have been going crazy with thoughts. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, awaiting her doom.

"Aria, come on," Ezra said impatiently. He grabbed her hand and pulled on it, but Aria suddenly seemed to regain her senses as she yanked her hand from his.

"I'm going to stay here," Aria declared as she took a step toward Jason.

"If you stay here, then we're over. I'm not alright with you staying in his house."

"I guess we're over then."

"You can't mean that," Ezra replied, shock evident in his voice and on his face.

"I do."

"I'm willing for us to become public. We can even tell your parents. Please Aria," Ezra begged.

"It's too late, Ezra," Aria said firmly.

"Why?"

"Because," Aria quietly hesitated and glanced at Jason. "Because I think I have feelings for someone else."

"Who? Him?" Ezra angrily asked as he gestured toward Jason.

Aria said nothing.

"You're making a mistake, Aria. I'm going to give you one last chance to come with me right now."

"Ezra, just leave."

"Aria-"

"You heard her. Leave now," Jason commanded, his tone of voice leaving no room for argument.

Ezra gave Aria one last desperate look, but she didn't move.

"You're going to regret this," he told her as he stormed out the door.

Jason stood at the doorway and was surprised to see Ezra getting something out of his car. It dawned on Jason that it must be Aria's purse as Ezra carried it to the door and silently shoved it at Jason's chest before heading back to his car. After seeing Ezra's taillights disappear, Jason closed the door.

He and Aria stood in silence, both seeming to be unsure of what to do next. Jason could hear as a nearby clock incessantly ticked back and forth as he placed her purse on a nearby desk.

"I can't believe that just happened," Aria shakily said, breaking the heavy silence.

She sat down on the stairs and buried her face in her hands. Soon, her back began to move up and down as sobs violently racked through her body.

Jason hurried over and sat down next to her, tightly wrapping his arms around her shaking body. She buried her face in his chest and crossed her arms as if to hug herself. He allowed her to cry on him, knowing that she was probably more shocked than anything by what had just happened.

After what must have been about ten minutes, he started to become sore from sitting in that position for so long and figured Aria might feel the same way, so he put one arm behind her knees and his other one on her back as he picked her up in a cradling position. He could feel her wet tears on his neck as he carried her to the sofa and sat down. Jason held her in his lap, rubbing slow circles on her back.

He didn't stop until her sobs quieted and her breathing deepened. Jason held her tighter and kissed her forehead. He was glad that she'd finally fallen asleep, because it temporarily ended her pain.


End file.
